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Indexed News on:

--the California "Mega-Park" Project

Tracking measurable success on efforts across California to preserve and connect our Parks & Wildlife CorridorsWE POST NEWS THREE WAYS:1. long detailed stories on blogspot (here!)2. short messages on Twitter3. automated news feeds from CA enviro websites in the right-hand column which change frequently and are not archived by our website (that's why we now have a twitter account to permanently capture the memorable feeds)

BALLONA WETLANDS--483 acres by WCB and
CC--9-25-2003--The Conservancy contributed $10 million to the State's
$140 million acquisition of over 480 acres of the Ballona wetlands , and
is leading the State's planning effort for restoration of the property.
The restoration will be aimed at re-creating scarce habitat for a
variety of wildlife while providing opportunities for people to visit
and enjoy the area. For documents relating to the purchase, see http://resources.ca.gov/ballona_wetlands.html
for the State's restoration website, http://www.ballonarestoration.org/, and for other Ballona Wetlands updates, http://www.saveallofballona.org/

1.2 acres by CC--7-16-07 Consideration and
possible Conservancy authorization to disburse an amount not to exceed
$100,000 to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA)
for project planning and design of a proposed 1.2-acre park at the
recently acquired Milton St parcel along the Ballona Creek within Culver City, Los Angeles County.

Ballona-Milton st.-1.2 acres MRCA 8-8-07

Ballona-Milton st.-1.2 acres MRCA 2-7-07

6-30-04 Consideration and authorization to disburse up to $142,320 to the City of Culver City for the Ballona Creek Water Quality Improvement Project,
and up to $381,700 to the Ballona Wetlands Foundation to develop final
plans and environmental review for Phase I of the Ballona Outdoor
Learning and Discovery (BOLD) project, to implement the Santa Monica Bay
Restoration Plan approved by the Coastal Conservancy on August 2, 2001.

38 acres by SP--http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/112202.pdf
11-2002 LOS ANGELES – California State Parks and the Baldwin Hills
Conservancy today announced the expansion of Kenneth Hahn State
Recreation Area with the acquisition of the first in a series of parcels
along the Stocker Corridor in the Baldwin Hills. The preservation of
the 38-acre open space corridor is part of the ongoing effort to expand
Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area into a two-square mile natural park,
open space and recreation oasis in the heart of southwest Los Angeles.
This new acquisition will ultimately provide a critical link between
the Crenshaw Community and the existing Kenneth Hahn State Recreation
Area. Proposition 12 funds have been earmarked for the Stocker Corridor
project via legislation by Sen. Kevin Murray and supported by Speaker
Herb Wesson and the Davis Administration. The Stocker Corridor is a
mile-long series of parcels that has remained as natural open space
through the efforts of community members. The purchase of this first
parcel along the corridor for $675,000 has been the culmination of
community, local and state agency efforts to preserve the corridor and
retain the natural characteristics of the Baldwin Hills area. 6-2002 http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/061802notice.pdfMap of stocker corridor http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/061802map.pdf

Taylor Yard 57.8 acres and the Cornfields, 32 acres by SP
--http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/121203.pdf
12-2003-California State Parks announced today that it has acquired its
first park property which directly fronts along the Los Angeles River
at Taylor Yard near downtown Los Angeles. The 17.8-acre parcel G that
has been a part of the Union Pacific Taylor Yard properties runs for
about a half-mile along the river just east of the Highway 2 Glendale
Freeway bridge over the Los Angeles River. It is one of the few
remaining natural habitat zones left along the river and is seen as
essential for the long-term restoration of the Los Angeles River. State
Parks has reached an agreement with Union Pacific to purchase
the17.808-acres for $10,472,000.00 and with Public Works Board approval
today, escrow on the property is expected to close next week. The
acquisition funding comes from Proposition 12. In December 2001, State
Parks purchased the 40-acre Taylor Yard property known as parcel D along
San Fernando Road. However, it is separated from the river by the
Metrolink rail line. It was likewise purchased with Proposition 12 bond
funding. It is now being developed jointly by California State Parks and
the City of Los Angeles as a seamless park that includes both natural
and recreational areas. The 17.8 acre parcel is just upstream and State
Parks intends to develop it as a natural riverfront area and connect it
to Taylor Yard, thereby connecting the Taylor Yard property to the Los
Angeles River parkland corridor. Many believe parcels D and G are the
linchpin properties for moving ahead and acquiring more of the
riverfront by State Parks and other agencies to eventually create a Los
Angeles River Parkway. State Parks also owns the Cornfield property,
located downstream of Taylor Yard. It does not directly touch the river,
but has links for bike paths and trails to the river, thereby making it
one of the connecting properties to Taylor Yard and another major part
of the future Los Angeles River Parkway. The northernmost 17.8-acre
parcel is contiguous to the 6-mile stretch of soft-bottomed channel of
the Los Angeles River known as the “Glendale Narrows”. This is one the
few remaining natural habitat zones where one can get a glimpse of what
the Los Angeles River may have looked like prior to channelization.
Parks comm.. minutes 8-22-03–an agreement has been reached to form a
partnership with the City of Los Angeles in which the state would lease
about half of the 40-acre Taylor Yard site to the City of Los
Angeles, which would then construct sports fields at the city’s expense.
State Parks would develop the other half of the site as a “traditional”
state park, which would retain the link to the parcel that is
immediately adjacent to the Los Angeles River. The objective being to
have a park that seamlessly transitions from active recreation to more
passive recreation to a riparian environment. State Parks hopes that
this will eventually lead to the “greening” of the Los Angeles River in
this area.http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/110101a.pdf 11-2001-Taylor yard parcels map: http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/110101amap.pdf For more on the original plan to purchase up to 127 acres of land locally referred to as Taylor Yard

Cornfields http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/nr061401.pdf 6-2001-Cornfields map http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/nr061401b.pdf Photos: http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/nr061401d.pdf
The 32-acre parcel is within an abandoned Union Pacific R.R. railyard
located between North Broadway and North Spring streets as they run
between the Chinatown area and the Los Angeles River. The L.A.- Pasadena
Blue Line light rail right-of-way forms the parcel’s western and
northern boundaries, with an intermodal station under construction one
block south of the property in Chinatown. In March of this year, the
Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national non-profit land protection
organization, stepped in and negotiated an option to buy the property
from Union Pacific Railroad Company via the current option holder,
Majestic Realty Company. An appropriation of $40,000,000, most of which
will come from the Proposition 12 Parks Bond Act of 2000, is expected to
be approved by the Governor when he signs the budget this summer. TPL
will then transfer the property to State Parks.

By
CC 6-25-2001--$$1,494,000 to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation
Authority for acquisition of the AmeriPride property adjacent to the
Arroyo Seco in the City of Los Angeles. In conjunction with this
grant, the Conservancy authorized entry into a joint powers agreement
with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

By CC 6-25-2001--$1,693,000 to the City of
Maywood, Los Angeles County, for the acquisition of two properties for
Maywood River Park, adjacent to the Los Angeles River, and for
preparation of environmental documents. Added in 12-24-02 by CC- L.A.
Junction railroad property

By CC 2-24-2000--disburse up to $400,000 to
the City of Paramount to acquire the Fitzpatrick property for public
access along the Los Angeles River to the coast.

By CC -3-25-04 Consideration and possible
Conservancy authorization to disburse up to $400,000 to the Los Angeles
County Department of Public Works to prepare a preliminary design and
conduct environmental review for wetland creation along the Los Angeles River
as recommended in the DeForest Nature Center and Sixth Street Sites
Wetland Feasibility Study and the Dominguez Gap Wetlands/Recreation
Study.

66 acres by CC---2006• provided $7 million
for the Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority’s purchase of 66 acres of the
Bryant property at Los Cerritos Wetlands near the mouth of the San
Gabriel River in Long Beach. The sale, primarily negotiated by the Trust
for Public Land, came after more than two decades of effort by the
conservation community to acquire properties that contain the wetlands.
The Conservancy earlier joined with the cities of Seal Beach and Long
Beach and the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers and Mountains
Conservancy to establish the Authority for the purpose of acquiring and
restoring the wetlands, which are degraded but still valuable habitat
for many species of birds and other wildlife.

5 acres by CC--1-18-07 offer to dedicate
fee title (OTD) by SCE at Los Cerritos Wetlands; designation of the Los
Cerritos Wetlands Authority (LCWA) to accept the OTD; and consideration
and possible authorization to disburse up to $30,000 to the LCWA to
prepare a feasibility analysis of the use of the five-acre parcel for
natural resource restoration purposes under the Los Cerritos Wetlands
resource enhancement program, located in the City of Long Beach

463 acres by CC and WCB--2005• to acquire
the Portuguese Bend and Agua Amarga Canyon properties, a total of about
463 acres, to protect wildlife habitat on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
The properties are adjacent to other protected habitat areas and will
contain portions of a 20-mile trail network linked to the California
Coastal Trail. 10-27-05--disburse up to $1,550,000 to the City of Rancho
Palos Verdes for the acquisition of two properties necessary for
implementation of the Rancho Palos Verdes Natural Communities
Conservation Planning (NCCP) Subarea Plan on the Palos Verdes Peninsula
in southwestern Los Angeles County.

--400 acres in north Elsmere Canyon,
adjacent to Angeles National Forest. This property connects the
thousands of acres of parks in the Santa Monica Mountains, Simi Hills
and Santa Susana Mountains with the Angeles National Forest and parks in
the east half of L.A. County! This pinch point is just north of Sylmar
and Granada Hills and south of Santa Clarita.

1659 acres by SP-Lower Topanga http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/nr062901b.pdf 6-2001 Lower Topanga map http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/topanga.pdf
In March of this year, the American Land Conservancy, a private,
non-profit organization that facilitates the preservation of parkland
and water resources throughout the nation, announced that it would
purchase the property from LAACO, Ltd., the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
The intent of ALC has been to purchase the 1,659-acre property and hold
it for transfer to the California Department of Parks and Recreation
when park bond money became available. The money for acquiring lower
Topanga Canyon will come from the Proposition 12 Parks Bond Act of
2000. Of the $48 million allocated, $43 million will be used to purchase
the property and the remaining $5 million will be used to relocate the
tenants and begin the restoration of the site.

120 acres in Old Topanga canyon by
CC-5-24-2001--$250,000 to the Mountains Restoration Trust for
acquisition of three parcels encompassing approximately 120 acres of
land including critical habitat for western pond turtles in accordance
with the Zuniga Creek and Wetland Resource Enhancement Plan.

417 acres in Tuna Canyon by
CC.-1-24-2002--$1,600,000 to the Mountains Restoration Trust for the
acquisition of approximately 417 acres known as the "DeJoria Tuna Canyon
S.E.A. Property" in Los Angeles County north of Highway 1 between
Malibu and Topanga Canyon Boulevards. In conjunction with the grant, the
Conservancy adopted the Tuna Canyon Significant Ecological Area
Enhancement Plan.

1416 acres in Tuna Canyon by
CC-1-24-2002--$1,000,000 to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation
Authority for the acquisition of approximately 1,416 acres known as the
Mann Property in Los Angeles County north of Highway 1 between Malibu
and Topanga Canyon Boulevards, pursuant to the Tuna Canyon Significant
Ecological Area Enhancement Plan.

71.5 acres in Cold Creek by
CC-6-25-2001--$$719,000 to the Mountains Restoration Trust for
acquisition of eight parcels encompassing approximately 71.5 acres
including portions of the riparian wetland habitat of Cold Creek in Los
Angeles County. In conjunction with this grant, the Conservancy adopted
the Cold Creek Enhancement Plan.

Less than an acre at Carbon beach by
CC--12-11-2003 Consideration and possible Conservancy adoption of the
Carbon-La Costa Beach Acquisition Mitigated Negative Declaration and
Monitoring Program and authorization to disburse up to $1,250,000 for
acquisition of a vacant parcel located at 21724 Pacific Coast Highway,
Malibu for scenic visual and passive public access. The lot is adjacent
to a property already owned by the Conservancy, and together the
properties offer the only opportunity for the public to reach the beach
and the only view of Santa Monica Bay from Pacific Coast Highway
within a three-mile length of the coast

588
acres-by CC, WCB and SP--2005• CC contributed $10.5 million toward the
Mountain Recreation Authority’s acquisition of the 564-acre SOKA
Property in the upper watershed of Malibu Creek. The purchase protected
critical wildlife habitat and offers outstanding recreational
opportunities in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains. SOKA Property
within the coastal zone of the Malibu Creek watershed to protect
critical habitat, open space and watershed lands and to implement the
Santa Monica Bay Restoration Plan, approved by the Conservancy on August
2, 2001

With
this deal completed on Friday, April 16, 2005, with the close of escrow
on the 588 acre purchase, it is a partnership between State Parks and
nine other agencies to preserve a property many have called the “Crown
Jewel” of the Santa Monica Mountains. “One cannot overstate the
significance of acquiring this magnificent natural landscape,” said Ruth
Coleman, Director of California State Parks. “We have been trying to
acquire this wonderful parcel since the mid-1970’s. We now own a portion
and all the partners in this endeavor are to be applauded for
preserving this ecological jewel.” The Soka property being added to
Malibu Creek State Park is almost exclusively oak woodland, chaparral,
and annual grassland. It is in native condition, with the exception of a
few access roads and a small building at the edge of the property. The
entire 588 acres of the Soka University property is seen as a critical
habitat linkage for wildlife such a mountain lions, bobcats, badgers,
and other animals within the Santa Monica Mountains. The partnership
funding for the acquisition is as follows: (Most of the funding comes
from Propositions 40 and 50, bond acts passed by voters for land
conservation.) • Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, $10 million •
California State Parks, $7.15 million • State Coastal Conservancy Board,
$5.5 million • State Wildlife Conservation Board, $5 million • Santa
Monica Bay Restoration Commission, $2.5 million • National Park Service,
$2.5 million • County of Los Angeles, Prop. A, $2 million • Mountains
Recreation and Conservation Authority, $1.23 million • Calabasas,
$250,000 • Agoura Hills, $250,000.

37 acres in Ramirez and Escondido canyons
by CC-8-2-2001--$$70,000 to the Mountains Recreation & Conservation
Authority for acquisition of the approximately 37-acre Brown property in
Los Angeles County, in accordance with the Upper Ramirez and Escondido
Canyons Resource Enhancement Plan.

Around ½ acre at Lechuza Beach by CC
9-28-2000-disburse up to $10,000,000 for acquisition of the Lechuza
Beach property in Malibu, Los Angeles County, near Matador State Beach,
located on Sea Level Drive

Negotiations
for Huge addition to Baldwin Hills State Park are Underway; If Bought
By Regional Conservation Authority, 2/3rds of Planned Park would be
Public-Owned

(Please click on map to enlarge)

The
dark green area in the map on the left shows a 296-acre oil field that
may be acquired soon by the Baldwin Hills Regional Conservation
Authority. Not much info is available except that the Authority
discussed the sale at its June 28, 2007 meeting. The sagebrush covered
parcel would extend the State park so that the public would have hiking
trails with views of both downtown L.A. and the Pacific Ocean. For more
information, see http://smmc.ca.gov/BHRCA.html or http://www.bhc.ca.gov/

--------------------------------------------------------

The Santa Monica Mountains Backbone Trail is Almost Finished!

Linking almost 60 miles of connected parkland from the San Diego Freeway to Point Mugu State Park in Ventura County,the
last two miles are under "construction" by the National Parks Service.
When I last hiked it in April 2007, only the portion near Mulholland
Highway was not finished, as minor stream crossings and drainage pipes
under the trail were not installed. Also, watch out for the two guard
dogs at Lucky Ranch, just to the east, as the fence does not keep them
inside.

(Click on map to enlarge)

Red Rock Canyon Park in Topanga

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MAJOR L.A. WILDLIFE CORRIDOR PINCHPOINT PARCEL TO BE SAVED
March 2007: Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) owns approximately 1200 acres of
vacant land in Elsmere Canyon and has offered to donate the northerly 400 acres
to
the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. This property
connects the thousands of acres of parks in the Santa Monica Mountains,
Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains with the Angeles National Forest
and parks in the east half of L.A. County! This pinch point is just
north of Sylmar and Granada Hills and south of Santa Clarita.

The
Elsmere parcel is in the center of the map below, immediately east of
the 14 freeway icon. The green shaded land is public parkland. The red
shaded parcels are from a year 2000 map of proposed purchases by the
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. (click on maps to enlarge)

---------------------------------------------------

THE ORIGINAL "OLMSTED VISION" FOR LOS ANGELES FROM 1930:

THE 2007 VISION OF THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY:

The Rim of the Valley Trail System and its Parklands

(Please click on any map to enlarge)

Proposed Additions to the Rim of the Valley Parks

The National Park Service map of the Santa Monica Mountains--does not include all State and local parks

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, http://www.smmc.ca.gov/established
by the California State Legislature in 1980; Since that time, it has
helped to preserve over 55,000 acres of parkland in both wilderness and
urban settings. Through direct action, alliances, partnerships, and
joint powers authorities, the Conservancy's mission is to strategically
buy back, preserve, protect, restore, and enhance treasured pieces of
Southern California to form an interlinking system of urban, rural and
river parks, open space, trails, and wildlife habitats that are easily
accessible to the general public.

http://www.saveourringofgreen.com/working to save the Mountclef Ridge Wildlife Corridor.This Habitat Linkage runs along the north side of the City of Thousand Oaks in the County of Ventura. It has been scientifically documented for many years.

Mountains Restoration Trust, http://www.mountainstrust.org/
owns and manages more than 1,200 acres in the Cold Creek watershed of the Santa Monica Mountains.
The Trust's most significant holdings are the Cold Creek Canyon
Preserve (1000+ acres) and the Cold Creek Valley Preserve (67 acres),
located on the north slope of Saddle Peak.

Federation of Hillside and Canyon Associations, http://www.hillsidecanyon.org/
protects
the property and the quality of life of residents of the Santa Monica
Mountains and other hillside areas of Los Angeles

Canyonback Alliance, http://www.canyonback.org/
Preserved the public’s right to hike on the Kenter and Mount St. Mary’s trails from Brentwood to Mulholland Drive

http://www.uppermandeville.org/
works to protect and enhance the quality of life in Mandeville Canyon and the beauty of the open space surrounding the canyon

http://www.smmtc.org/
Santa
Monica Mountains Trails Council, dedicated to establishing and
maintaining the public trail system throughout the Santa Monica
Mountains

SIMI HILLS/SANTA SUSANA MOUNTAINS:

http://www.savechatsworth.org/SAVE
CHATSWORTH, INC. is a coalition of homeowners and local non-profit
organizations, dedicated to saving Chatsworth from excessive,
irresponsible development. Save Chatsworth, Inc. was founded in July of
2002, with the mission “to ensure that all future development remains
consistent with the existing rural character and heritage of
Chatsworth.”

Below is a close-up of the Linkage needed between the two halves of the Angeles National Forest

Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment, http://www.scope.org/
The
County has approved projects which would effectively double the
population of the valley in the next decade, and looming on the horizon
is the largest single development proposal in Los Angeles County
history: The Newhall Ranch Project.

Friends of Santa Clara River, http://www.fscr.org/dedicated to the protection, enhancement and management of the resources of the Santa Clara River, which flows approximately 100 miles from Acton, California to the Pacific Ocean. The Santa Clara is one of only two natural river systems remaining in Southern California

http://www.savetejonranch.org/
Land
sits at the environmental crossroads of the State. The coalition is
working to save 245,000 acres — a swath of land bigger than Chicago and
Philadelphia combined-- out of Central California’s 270,000 acre Tejon
Ranch. The Tehachapi Connection is perhaps our most important linkage in
that it is the sole wildland connection between two major mountain
systems--the Sierra Nevada and the Sierra Madre and the Coast Ranges.

Safe Action for the Environment, http://www.stoptmc.org/
Dedicated to preventing the Cemex/Southdown/Transit Mixed mine from opening in the Santa Clarita Valley

Fond Land Preservation Foundation, http://flpf.org/
Within our first year, the Fond Land Preservation Foundation was able
to secure the right to acquire approximately 500 acres of open space in
Los Angeles County's Verdugo Mountains. Formerly known as "Major's
Ranch", the land features a ridgeline reaching 1800 feet tall and serves
as the wildlife migration corridor between La Tuna Canyon and Tujunga
Wash. It is one of the largest intact wild areas within the City of Los
Angeles. This land, which consists of chaparral and riparian vegetation
is suitable for hiking and riding trails. In honor of our founders,
Charles Fond and his daughter Rosemary Ann Fond, the area will be
dedicated as the Charles and Rosemary Ann Fond Wilderness Area.

Altadena Foothills Conservancy, http://www.altadenafoothills.org/
The primary purpose of the Altadena Foothills Conservancy (AFC) is the preservation of land in Altadena, California, focusing on the natural foothills that provide a buffer between developed residential neighborhoods and the rugged San Gabriel Mountains.

http://www.altadenatrails.org/Information
about Hiking, Mountain Bike and Equestrian Trails in the Altadena
Foothills at the foot of the San Gabriel range, 15 miles north of Los
Angeles.

http://www.amigosdelosrios.org/necklace.htmThe
Emerald Necklace is a vision for a 17 mile loop of parks and greenways
connecting 10 cities and nearly 500,000 residents along the Río Hondo
and San Gabriel Rivers nestled in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley, unifying more than 1,500 acres of parks and open spaces along an interconnected greenway around two major urban rivers.

Friends of the L.A. River, http://www.folar.org/
founded in 1986 to protect and restore the natural and historic
heritage of the Los Angeles River and its riparian habitat through
inclusive planning, education and wise stewardship.

Ballona Network, http://www.ballonanetwork.org/ seeks to facilitate the creation of a contiguous urban open space greenway from the emerging Los Angeles River and Arroyo Seco greenways to Ballona and the Sea

Litigation and Education to Protect the remaining Open Spaces of the Ballona, Baldwin Hills and El Segundo Dunes ecosystemsince 1993

Ballona Wetlands Land Trust, http://www.ballona.org/,
founded in 1994, is a non-profit community organization dedicated to
facilitating the public acquisition, restoration and preservation of the
entire 1,087 acre Ballona Wetlands ecosystem, including salt and fresh
water wetlands, dunes, bluffs and upland habitat.

the Grassroots Coalition, http://www.grassrootscoalition.org/
works for full disclosure of health and safety issues of toxic oil field contamination in the Ballona Wetlands region

Baldwin Hills Conservancy, http://www.bhc.ca.gov/
State
agency that acquires open space and manages public lands within the
Baldwin Hills area to provide recreation, restoration and protection of
wildlife habitat

Worked with the City which recently purchased most of the remaining open space on the south side of the Peninsula. This led to the creation of the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve, 1200 acres in Rancho Palos Verdes
now managed by the Conservancy. In addition to the Portuguese Bend
Nature Preserve, the Land Conservancy owns or manages the Linden H.
Chandler and George F Canyon Preserves in Rolling Hills Estates and the
White Point Nature Preserve and habitat restoration on the Defense Fuel
Supply Point in San Pedro.

Urban Wildlands Group, http://www.urbanwildlands.org/, dedicated to the conservation of species, habitats, and ecological processes in urban and urbanizing areas.

Los Cerritos Wetlands Authority--agency that is negotiating the purchase of the Los Cerritos and nearby Hellman ranch wetlandshttp://lcwetlands.org/

Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, http://www.lcwlandtrust.org/
Where the San Gabriel River meets the Pacific Ocean in Long Beach,
with 776 acres remaining available for restoration, the Los Cerritos
Wetlands' one-of-a-kind coastal ecosystem struggles to remain the vital
link in protecting some of Southern California's most precious and diverse resources.

Catalina Island Conservancy, http://www.catalinaconservancy.org/
In
1972, members of the Wrigley and Offield family established the
Catalina Island Conservancy as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of Catalina
Island. On February 15, 1975, the final step was taken to ensure the
protection of the majority of the Island when Mr. and Mrs. Philip K.
Wrigley and Mrs. Dorothy Wrigley Offield, through the Santa Catalina Island Company,
deeded 42,135 acres of the Island to the Conservancy. With this gift,
the conservation and preservation of most of Catalina's interior and 48
miles of its coastline were given permanent status in perpetuity under
sole stewardship by the Conservancy. Prior to this, in 1974, they
entered into a 50-year open space agreement with Los Angeles County,
guaranteeing public recreational and educational use of 41,000 acres of
Santa Catalina Island, consistent with good land conservation practices.